Ohio Man Fined for Littering After Money Handed to Panhandler Accidentally Falls to the Ground

John Davis of Elyira says he was pulled over by a Cleveland Police officer and given a ticket for littering after one of the two dollars he gave a wheelchair-bound panhandler was accidentally dropped.

Davis spotted the panhandler near the West 117th ramp off I-90, and his thoughts turned to his disabled brother. "I have a brother that's paralyzed," he told the local Fox affiliate. "My brother's in that same situation and struggles."

He stopped by the man to give him a couple of dollars, but while handing over the cash, one of the paper bills accidentally slipped and fell. Davis says the man immediately picked it up.

But a short while later Davis was ordered by a police officer to pull over, and told he was being cited for littering.

Cleveland does have a law banning drivers from giving money to panhandlers situated near highways, but Davis notes that he was explicitly ticketed for littering from a motor vehicle. He plans to challenge his $500 fine in court.

"I don't mean any disrespect toward the police department at all we need ‘em but I just wish I didn't have to pay this ticket," he said, adding that the ordeal has made him wary of helping panhandlers in the future.